OUR STORY

The Roxbury International Film Festival is the largest festival in New England that celebrates people of color. Over the course of 10 days the festival screens all genres of films, holds workshops and panel discussions and offers filmmakers the opportunity to network with each other as well as audience members. Screenings take place at the Museum of Fine Arts, Haley House Bakery Café and other sites in and around Roxbury. The Roxbury International Film Festival is a competitive festival that awards certificates in the categories of Audience Favorite, Narrative Film, Documentary Film, Narrative Short, Documentary Short, Youth, Emerging Filmmaker Award and a special award named after award-winning filmmaker Henry Hampton. Our goal is simply to screen films that celebrate and present more diverse images of people around the world.

For years, filmmakers, distributors, and film enthusiasts wondered why Boston, one of the largest metropolitan areas on the east coast, lacked a vehicle that supported independent films of color or that showcased diverse experiences of people of color throughout the world. The primary motivation behind the creation of the Roxbury International Film Festival (then, the Dudley Film Festival) in 1999 was to provide this important opportunity. Started with a five thousand dollar grant to ACT Roxbury (no longer in existence) the film festival was born.

That was 20 years ago and our passion for film and filmmakers has sustained us all these years. We are a volunteer-run festival and we could not do this without the support of sponsors, filmmakers and the audiences who appreciate these independent films, these incredible stories as much as we do. Now as we prepare for our 21st year (2019), the Roxbury International Film Festival continues to showcase and honor the works of emerging filmmakers of color as well as established filmmakers, and has become the largest festival in New England dedicated to this genre. Since its inception, the festival has welcomed over 38,000 attendees, screening more than 700 films. Our mission is to support diverse filmmakers by providing an opportunity for audiences to view their works and experience the stories often overlooked in mainstream media.